THE University of Hertfordshire has been ranked the Best Creative School in the UK by The Rookies, the leading international rankings for creative media education.

Recognised globally as the definitive guide to the world’s best creative schools, The Rookies identifies institutions that consistently produce top-tier talent across disciplines including animation, visual effects, concept art, and games development.

In this year’s results, Herts’ School of Creative Arts achieved multiple top honours, including Best 2D Animation School in the UK, Best Concept Art School in the UK, and Best VFX School in the UK. Herts was Second in the UK for Games Design and Development.

Almost 500 institutions worldwide were evaluated, with only four UK universities making the top 50. Hertfordshire ranked well ahead of the next UK institution, the University of the Arts London, which placed 25 positions lower.

According to The Rookies, 751 Herts students participated across competition categories, with an employment rate of over 93% among graduates from the University’s creative arts programmes.

Dean of the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire, Stephen Partridge, said:

“This ranking is not a one-off success, it reflects years of consistent achievement across all our creative disciplines. The University’s School of Creative Arts continues to deliver outstanding results, demonstrating to students in the UK and around the world that Herts is the premier place to study a creative degree and build a successful career.”

The recognition follows a series of major accolades for Hertfordshire. Earlier this year, its Graphic Design programme was ranked best in the UK and fifth globally by the World Brand Design Society Awards. It’s Animation and Game Design course was ranked as the best in the UK by this year’s Guardian education rankings. The University’s alumni work for leading studios including Disney, and in 2026 it will open Propeller Stage One, a state-of-the-art film studio designed to deliver world-class training for the growing film and TV industries.

The Rookies co-founder Andrew McDonald said:

“Traditional school rankings don’t always capture the nuances of creative and technical excellence. Our rankings provide a fair, data-driven way to identify schools producing world-class artists and designers.”

Co-founder Alwyn Hunt added:

“We’re often asked by students around the world where the best creative schools are; these rankings help them find the right place to study and launch their careers.”

Neil Gallagher, Senior Lecturer (3D Animation and Games Art), who co-ordinates Herts’ entry to The Rookies, added:

“The next generation of artists, designers, and storytellers are shaping industries worth tens of billions of pounds in the UK alone — from film, TV, and streaming (£12–15 billion) to the booming video games sector (£7 billion and growing), and the animation industry, contributing over £1.7 billion to the economy. 

“Herts graduates are not only working across gaming, animation, film, and television, but through the use of Unreal Engine and advanced rendering technologies, they are also expanding into automotive, architecture, military, training and simulation, and many entrepreneurial ventures, helping the UK secure its position as a global leader in the entertainment and creative industries.”

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